


Fairy Tale Romance

by rethrin



Category: Franklin & Bash
Genre: Babysitting, First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-11
Updated: 2012-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-10 23:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/471707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rethrin/pseuds/rethrin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A quick bit of Peter and Jared babysitting and playing at fairy tales and being in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fairy Tale Romance

"You're the prince," Amanda said, handing the sword to Peter, who took it with a grin and slipped it into his belt.

Jared held a hand to his heart, mortally wounded. "You're choosing him? He can't ride a horse, you know, he's scared of them. We went to the wild west world once and he hid in a barrel."

"That was years ago," Peter said. "I'm not scared any more."

Jared raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but Peter stood firm. Amanda looked between them, weighing her options. 

"I had fencing lessons at school," Jared said. "I'm handy with a sword."

"But I know every word of 'If I Never Knew You'," Peter said casually.

"You do?" Sheer admiration and love radiated from her. Jared resigned himself to being the bad guy of this particular drama. "Do you know Pocahontas?" she asked Jared.

He shook his head, not quite prepared to lie to a five year old. She nodded thoughtfully. 

"He's taller, anyway," she said, settling the matter.

Jared shrugged and Peter smiled at him, before handing the princess hat to Amanda. Who handed it straight to Jared. They both looked at it in confusion.

"I can't be the princess," she said, "I'm a magic fairy." She did have wings on. "Uncle J's the princess. But he's not a princess yet, he's a servant, and the ogre king hates him and makes him work in the cellars."

"I, uh, I can't be the-" Jared started, but Peter interrupted.

"Course you can, Jared." He looked him in the eye. "Unless you're going to explain to Carmen how you taught Mandy the _importance_ of traditional gender roles and heterosexuality in fairy tales?"

Jared stared at him for a full five seconds, processing that, then blinked. "Yes, right, okay." He put the hat firmly on his head, securing it with elastic under his chin. 

It was a fairly standard romance. With the fairy's help Peter rescued Jared from the Ogre King, slaying a dragon in the process, and - upon Jared's insistence - freeing all the other servants as well, setting them on the way to over-throwing the ogre's totalitarian monarchy. Jared then wanted to go and live in the candy forest, free from care, but Peter had been hired by his mother to take him home, where he was needed to bring stability to the region by marrying some horrible prince or other. 

With the fairy's help Peter dragged Jared for miles and miles, fighting off tigers and assassins on the way. 

Jared argued that this was basically kidnap and any feelings he might develop for Peter were likely to be nothing more than Stockholm Syndrome which was not a sound basis for a romance and eventual marriage. The fairy didn't entirely grasp Stockholm Syndrome.

"I just don't think I'd fall in love with him," Jared said.

She looked at him open-mouthed with astonishment. "Don't you think he's beautiful?"

That made Jared smile, and he glanced up to see Peter grinning too. 

"Oh, he's divine," Jared said. "But you wouldn't fall in love with someone who kidnapped you, would you? No matter how handsome they were."

"But he _rescued_ you."

Jared nodded. "But why is what he's doing any better than what the ogre king was doing?"

They argued about that for a while, because the ogre king had made Jared work in the dark and only let him eat vegetables, whereas Peter was saving him from tigers on a semi-regular basis, which the fairy thought should count for something. Eventually though the fairy accepted that Jared was a grown up princess and nobody had any right to drag him across the country against his will just because they thought they knew what was good for him. She hastily rewrote their escape to include an evil witch cursing them, so that they had to stay together or they would die. The only cure was back at Jared's homeland. 

With that all settled Jared came along more willingly, and acknowledged that Peter was very good at tigers, and he cooked pretty well, and he could possibly see how someone might fall in love with him in these new, revised, circumstances.

They hid from a storm in a cave of cushions from the couch, and Jared accidentally ate poisoned berries. Peter mixed him an antidote out of nettles and grass. Jared quietly asked Peter why he kept saving his life all the time, and Peter told him it was because his eyes were beautiful and he'd fallen terribly in love with him against all his better judgement. But the fairy intervened at that point and said you weren't allowed to just tell people you were in love with them, you had to not want to be in love and pretend that you weren't until the last moment. So Peter took that back, and said he was saving Jared's life out of a sense of futile obligation instead. Jared said it was good of him all the same and ate more of the soup Peter had made. 

The fairy got bored of slogging through the forest - even though for the most part the Prince carried her - and instead she found some magic sweets that would get them home in an instant. So they did that, and their curse was lifted, and Jared was taken away to marry the evil prince. Peter was then permitted to realise how much he loved him and that he couldn't live without him. He started writing angsty poetry and looking at sunsets and crying, which the fairy said was not very Princely, but Peter told her she would be surprised and most people cried when they were heartbroken, even very handsome princes. He told the fairy it was hopeless because Jared already had a new prince, who he would love more than Peter. The fairy told Peter that he was amazing and handsome and nobody could ever love anyone more than him. Jared tutted, but since he was several miles away it didn't matter. 

It came to light that Jared's new husband was intending to sell him to pirates, so Peter was allowed to go and rescue him again. The pirates killed Jared's husband, and the fairy used magic dust to banish them from the realm. Jared swooned manfully into Peter's arms, and asked whether Peter could ever love someone who was so constantly in peril. Peter said he thought it was one of Jared's most endearing traits - along with his strong stance on social justice - and kissed him. Then Peter and the fairy joined together to serenade Jared with a collection of half remembered verses to every disney song they could think of. 

The wedding was small, and they honeymooned in the candy forest.

  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  


Several hours later Carmen came home, thanked them for babysitting and took her niece off to bed. Peter and Jared collapsed on the couch, exhausted. One of them flicked the tv on, and they didn't move for a while. 

Peter woke up first, it was the early morning, Jared was asleep in the curve of his arm. He nudged him. 

"Come on." 

He stood up and Jared looked up at him blurrily. "I'll stay here." 

Peter shook his head. "Get up, Princess, you'll be happier in bed."

Jared half stretched, but didn't really look like standing up any time soon. Peter leaned over him, and Jared held out his hands, assuming Peter would pull him to his feet. But instead Peter scooped one arm under his knees, the other under his back, and picked him up.

Jared burst out laughing, which nearly tipped them over, then quickly got his arms round Peter's neck and balanced his weight, so Peter could stand straight. 

"You're very manly," Jared said, and then made moves to get down, but Peter ignored him. "Put me down."

Peter shook his head, "I'm sweeping you off your feet."

He carried him towards his room, pausing on the way so Jared could get the light switch, and then nearly decapitated him in the darkness of the corridor. Jared curled his head in to Peter's neck to avoid future incidents. It might not be the safest way to travel, but Jared could think of worse. Peter struggled with the door handle then moved them so that Jared could get it with his foot instead. He took him inside and laid him comfortably on the bed, pulling the covers back and over Jared with a move that was so obviously practised that Jared couldn't help but be impressed. 

Peter hovered for a second, offering to either stay or go, whatever Jared wanted. Jared pulled him down into the bed. They shared a bed every now and again. When they were tired, or drunk. Maybe two or three times a year. 

Jared curled comfortably against Peter's side and yawned deeply. He brushed his fingers into Peter's hair at the base of his neck, and kept his hand there, stroking his thumb gently over Peter's skin. 

"That was excellent Prince-ing. I'd recommend you to a friend."

"I do my best."

Jared could feel Peter smiling, he smiled too. "You were great with her."

"She's brilliant, isn't she?" Peter said.

"Yeah." _You'd be an amazing dad. You should have that._

Somehow Jared didn't say it, but he thought it, and couldn't stop thinking it, even though it came with a feeling of crazy hollow sadness in his throat. He lay next to Peter, listening to him breathing, and thought about it. About what that feeling meant. In the end though, it was obvious. 

He was pretty sure Peter was asleep, but he said it out loud anyway. 

"I'm going to move out."

Peter wasn't asleep. He was perfectly still for a second, then moved Jared so he could look at him, fully confused. "What?"

Jared's voice was quiet, but far calmer than he felt. "I'll start looking for somewhere tomorrow."

Peter's hands tightened in Jared's clothes. "What are you talking about? Why?"

"We're not that young any more, we should get our own places, you know. Settle down kind of thing."

"What? _Who?_ "

Peter was looking at him, wide-eyed. Jared looked back at him, not understanding. 

"Who is it you're suddenly settling down with?" Peter clarified. 

"No, not me. But you should. You'd be happy. You should have a family, a daughter."

He shrugged to show what he was saying was obvious, but he felt tears in his eyes despite himself. His great realisation of the night: Peter would be happier without him. And didn't that suck.

"You're going to move out so that I can settle down." Peter looked at him steadily. 

Jared nodded. 

"With someone else."

Jared nodded again, obviously with someone else.

"Who?"

"I don't know, whoever you want."

Peter shook his head, firmly. "You can't just move out."

"We'll still see each other, and we'll still work together, and-"

"No." 

"What?" It was one thing deciding to move out because he wanted Peter to be happy, it was noble and such. But he wasn't going to give Peter up completely; his wife could have him in the nights but Jared would still get him during the day. That was fair. 

"No, you're not allowed to move out. Stop being an idiot."

Peter pulled him close again and Jared hugged him, relieved. The buttons of his shirt dug into Jared's cheek. 

"I mean it. You can't just leave."

"I thought we both agreed that I'm a grown up princess, allowed to make my own choices." 

"Not if they're stupid ones." 

Jared was tired, he shouldn't have said anything. He didn't want to talk about it, or think about it. He just wanted to sleep here, against Peter. And then tomorrow he'd move out and die alone and unhappy in some bedsit somewhere. Peter would have kids, and he'd make friends with other people who had kids, and they'd still work together, it would just be different. 

"I don't want to settle down," Peter said. 

"You don't want a family? A baby girl you could sing songs to, and take to Disney World, and build little robots with?" Jared knew full well he did, he'd always known it, and watching him with Amanda it had been obvious. 

"No. Not if it means..." Peter took a long breath. "The person I like doesn't want all that."

"The person you... What? Who?" Jared asked, looking up. Peter didn't answer, just lay still. "Do you mean Janie?" Jared tried not to sound bitchy when he said her name, he really did, but Peter was meant to be over her, and she was- Peter was shaking his head. 

"No."

Jared tried to think who Peter might be in love with who didn't want to settle down with him. They were stupid whoever they were, Peter was a great catch, he was caring and funny and... He realised he was channelling Amanda, _'but Peter's so tall and beautiful, who wouldn't love him?'_ They'd have to be an idiot.

"You should stop falling in love with idiots."

Peter stroked Jared's hair. "Yeah."

They lay quietly for a long while, and Jared thought maybe that was it. Maybe Peter was going to let him go to sleep, and then tomorrow he'd let him move out. That was good, because that was what Jared wanted now. So he ignored the massive sense of betrayal and outrage building in his stomach.

Then Peter huffed and pushed Jared away sharply, putting space between them. He flicked on the light and propped himself on one elbow so he could glare at Jared. He looked tired. And pissed. Mostly pissed. 

"You'd just move out, just like that?"

Jared nodded. "I can't-" _Can't watch you fall in love again, can't be here while it happens, Janie nearly killed me._

"And you're just going to let me marry someone else?"

Someone else. That was the second time Peter had said that and it didn't make sense, because to have someone else, you already had to have a someone. And Peter had no business being mad at him and pushing at him, when he was being noble.

"Why are you being stupid about this? This is good for you. Theresa and Janie, even Carol, they all left you because of me, because they thought you weren't grown up or something."

"I don't care about them."

"I know," Jared smiled, no matter how ridiculously sad he felt it was always nice when Peter said he didn't care about Janie. "But there'll be someone else, and she'll make you happy. I can't be the reason you don't get that."

"You're the reason I don't want it." 

That just hung there for a second, and Jared didn't know what it meant. Peter looked at him, exasperated, as if Jared was being purposefully dense. 

"I want you," Peter said. "I thought you knew. That I liked this, that I wanted you. Us."

Jared was going to say something any moment, but for now he was just looking at Peter, at his mouth, waiting for him to say whatever he was going to say that was going to make sense of that. Make it not mean the thing it sounded like it meant. Before he made a fool of himself and fell completely in love with his best friend. 

Jared was also pretty sure his eyes were leaking, but there wasn't anything he could do about that.

"Us." Jared really liked that word, that might be the nicest word ever. "But we're not..."

"I know." 

"Oh." They weren't. Jared had thought that they might be. "Because you just said..."

"Jared." Peter was reaching out to him, worried because Jared was crying, he was going to touch him and comfort him and Jared couldn't deal with that. He pushed his hand aside, and wiped his cheek.

"I'm fine. I just thought-" _I thought maybe you were in love with me, and it turns out that's the thing I want most in the whole world._ "Nothing."

Peter looked at him for a long few seconds and Jared did his best to make it clear that he was fine, absolutely, he was just tired.

"You know why Janie and me really broke up?" Peter said, and Jared shook his head miserably. "I asked her to marry me."

"Oh." Why the fuck did Peter think he wanted to talk about how much Peter loved Janie? How much Peter loved Janie was basically Jared's least favourite topic ever. Also he had absolutely no fucking right to ask people to marry him without telling Jared.

"She said no. She said she couldn't marry me because I loved you more than her." Peter paused, he reached forward and stroked his fingers over Jared's arm. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I told her that was ridiculous because I loved you more than _everyone_ , so I'd never be able to marry anyone." 

Peter looked right at him while he said it, and Jared didn't know what he was supposed to do. People didn't usually say the exact best most perfect thing in the world. He looked up at him, and Peter's eyebrows asked him if that was okay. Jared made a small strangled noise in his throat in reply.

Peter smiled at him, and Jared reached for him helplessly. Peter pulled him into a tight hug and Jared hugged back with everything he had, took deep breaths. Peter kissed his hair.

"You never said," Jared said. "Why didn't you say?"

"I didn't want to ruin anything. I didn't want you to move out." Peter smiled. "Besides, you can't just tell someone when you love them, you have to pretend you don't until the last minute."

Jared thought he could happily listen to Peter saying he loved him forever. And he'd read enough fairy tales to Amanda over the last few days to know that when the prince told you he loved you he was supposed to kiss you. He brushed his lips against Peter's cheek. 

"You're meant to kiss me now," he whispered softly.

Peter smiled, and was beautiful, and he kissed Jared's mouth very softly. Then less softly. Then again. And again.

Things all seemed very simple then. They would just kiss each other for the rest of time. Jared couldn't find a thing wrong with that. That was why fairy tales always ended with the kiss, because after that there was just more kissing, and more, because stopping was impossible. Peter moved one of his hands under Jared's shirt, stroking up over his back, and Jared figured okay, maybe there could be other things, as well as the kissing. He moaned into Peter's mouth, and Peter just smiled and kissed him harder. 

The wedding was small, and they honeymooned in Maui.


End file.
